Tree planter



w r liwo 9 1% L. R. HENDERSQN 2529$E TREE PLANTER Filed July 7, 1949 HNVENTOR Nov. 7 1950 L. R. HENDERSON TREE PLANTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Filed July '7, 1949 ENVENT OR me Roy fi-lendetson BY mm d WW ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 7, 1950 TREE PLAN TER Lee Roy Henderson, Kosmos, Wash., assignor of one-half to Alfred C. Seago, Kosmos, Wash.

Application July 7, 1949, Serial No. 103,469

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in tree planters and has for an object to provide an improved device for use in the planting of trees in which seedlings two to three years old for example may be planted the proper depth and with proper space for receiving the roots in addition to native earth in and about the roots with provision for expanding the hole in which the seedling is initially inserted whereby additional native or other earth may be filled into the hole and tamped by the feet of the operator or otherwise to efiect a final planting with assurance of the life of the planted tree.

Particularly in the western states extensive tree planting is taking place under Government sponsorship in which the Government is engaged in a program of encouraging the planting of trees by agreeing to pay for the trees and the planting. However when planted by hand only about ten per cent of the trees live. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved planter in which more than ninety per cent of the trees will live and thrive and a further object of the invention is to the end of saving Government money by the assurance that the trees planted under this sponsorship will not become waste but will thrive and in short the invention has for its still further object to promote the Government program in this respect.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein the symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved tree planter constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in the closed position ready to receive a seedling and with the pocket shown in dotted lines as having been opened.

Figure 2 is a similar View with the handles broken away and the pocket shown in the raised position.

Figure 3 is also a perspective View showing a subsequent position of the raised pocket in which the latter has been rotated through an angle of approximately 90 degrees.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4--4 in Figure 1 with the handles and a portion of the framework broken away, and with a seedling indicated at dotted lines as placed in the 2 in dotted lines as exerting force upon the spade blade.

Figure 5 is also a vertical sectional view of the improved tree planter with the handles broken away and showing a subsequent position to that in Figure 4 wherein the device has penetrated to the desired depth.

Figure 6 is a vertical section similar to Figures 4 and 5 by showing the pocket in the open position and the seedling indicated in dotted lines as deposited in the hole thus formed.

Figure 7 is also a vertical sectional View with parts broken away and parts shown in section and illustrating the pocket raised from the hole and,

Figure 8 is also a vertical section of the device with the pocket swung aside from the hole to admit the filling and tamping of earth about the roots of the planted seedling.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I0 designates a spade blade and H the handle thereof, both of which parts may be made from suitable metal welded or otherwise secured together. The lower edge of the spade blade I0 is preferably sharpened or beveled as indicated at l2 to facilitate penetration into the earth.

An end wall [3 and side walls I4 constitute a pocket with inclined edges [5 of the side walls I4 adapted to engage against the spade blade ID to form a closed pocket construction to receive the tree or seedling. The inclined edges I5 require the end wall l3 to assume an angular position converging downwardly toward the plane of the spade blade l0 and at the lower edge 16 of the pocket end wall l3 the same is beveled to fit tightly against the lower portion of the spade blade ID as indicated in Figures 1, 4 and 5.

The pocket is provided with a handle I! which may also be welded or otherwise afilxed to the upper portion of the'pocket end wall l3.

The upper edge of the pocket end wall I3 is rolled to form a casing or tube rotatable on a horizontal bar l9 which is supported by a sleeve 20 slidable and rotatable on a vertical bar 2| supported by the outrigger arms 22 and 23. These arms 22 and 23 are welded or otherwise affixed to the handle H, as indicated at 24, and the spade blade ID, as indicated at 25. In the arm 22 is included an elbow 26 in order to bring the arm 22 to a correct position over the lower arm 23 to support the vertical bar 2| at the side of the device in position to receive the sleeve I! which lies at one side of the pocket member.

The other end of the horizontal bar l9 cardevice and with the foot of the operator indicated ries a free arm 21 having a downwardly project- 3 ing detent or finger 28 adapted to vertically slide in and out of a tubular keeper 29 welded or otherwise afiixed to the upper portion of the spade blade II] at the opposite side from the point 25 at which the arm 23 is affixed.

In use the parts are caused to assume the full line position indicated in Figure 1 in which the pocket member is in the lower position and closed against the spade blade H) with the detent 28 occupying the keeper 29.

In this position the seedling, as indicated in Figure 4, is loaded downwardly through the upper open end of the device into the pocket. The lower edge 12 of the spade blade II] is then pushed downwardly into the earth as bytheweight of the foot indicated in Figures 4 and 5.

When the device has been pushed down to the desired depth, the handle ll is swung in the direction of the upper arrow in Figures 5 and fibrin other words toward the spade handle ll.

in other words this handle ll is forced over to right and tobompact the same to one side thus developing a hole as indicated in Figure 6 and at the same time withdrawing the sloping pocket end wall H: from the path of the seedling and permitting the seedling to drop into the bottom of the hole.

Referring more particularly to Figure 7 the next operation involves the raising of the pocket member by means of its handle ll, the sleeve 2!! sliding upwardly on the vertical bar 2| until the same reaches the upper arm 22 whichforms a stop for the sleeve. In this position the lower edge l6 of the pocket end wall 13 will clear the surface line of the ground to permit the subsequent operation, shown in Figure 8, of swinging the pocket member on the sleeve 20 and about the vertical bar 2! through an angle of approximately 90 degrees which will remove the pocket member from the upper portion of the hole thus leaving the latter exposed for the filling in of additionalearth and the tamping of the earth by the feet of the operator. The right foot of the operator may be used to firm down the earth about the newly planted tree.

After this operation the entire device including the spade blade i0 is lifted from the hole and the left foot of the operator is also used to tamD 4 bar steel of suitable thickness to insure rigidity.

The device of course may be made in any size and of any materials desired.

When the pocket member is raised the detent 28 will lift clear of the keeper 29 but this detent and keeper will hold the pocket and spade members in rigid closed relationship during the initial act of planting the tree.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. An improved tree planter comprising a spade member, a frame including a vertical bar carried by said spade member, a sleeve slidably androtatably mounted on said vertical bar, a horizontal bar carried bysaid sleeve, and a pocket member pivoted about said horizontal bar and swingable thereabout toward and from said spade member.

2. An improved tree planter as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that a free arm is carried by said horizontal bar at the end opposite said sleeve, said free arm having a detent, and a keeper on the spade positioned to be occupied by said detent in the lower position of the pocket member.

3. An improved tree planter as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that ahandle is attached to the pocket member for rotating the pocket member about said horizontal bar and for lifting the pocket member by the sliding of the sleeve on said vertical bar and for the rotation of said pocket member and sleeve 'about said vertical bar.

4. An improved tree planter as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that said pocket member comprises an end wall and side walls with inclined edges converging downwardly toward the planeof the end wall and adapted to fit against said spade member with. said end wall assuming an inclined position converging down- Wardly to the plane of said Spade member.

.LEE BOY. HENDERSON.

. R NCES ED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Date,

Erickson Aug. 2, 1932 

